


I know you

by quilledcorsair



Series: I just needed to see you [6]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Dark!Emma, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-21
Updated: 2015-04-21
Packaged: 2018-03-25 03:44:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3795436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quilledcorsair/pseuds/quilledcorsair
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma goes dark. Killian brings her back to the light.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I know you

_"Swan, listen to me, love. This isn’t you,” Killian pleaded, his ocean eyes pained and almost tearful. He clutched his side in pain. “This is not_  you, Emma,” he breathed, moving closer to her, ignoring Belle’s protest from behind him.

They were the only two standing, after Emma decided to unleash her wrath on this town, Regina cowering behind, clutch her chest in pain as Emma pushed her magic against her, suffocating her.

“Oh, my God! Do you ever shut up?” Emma snapped, turning back to the limping pirate. “This  _is_  who I am, Hook,” she sneered, making him wince at her use of his moniker. Her eyes shined, a maniacal glint in them making even him step back in fear. “I finally feel free. I feel-I feel-,” she cut off, a smirk dancing on her lips. “I feel  _nothing._ ” she sighed, closing her eyes, a blissful look on her face. “I feel no  _obligation_  to be the Savior. Or a hero. I don’t feel like I have to be someone or something for anyone else. I feel free. You-” she poked his chest. “You and all the others, you held me down, held me back with your  _love and hope,_ ” she spat. “You never wanted me to succeed. Discover my true potential. You were afraid because you are  _ordinary_.”

Killian looked take aback, every one of her words hitting him right in the heart, making him yearn to bring back the old Emma.  _His_  Emma. The woman who would never do or say any of this. The one he loves with his entire being and beyond.

“I may not know who you are,” he shot back, steadying himself. “But I know  _my_ Swan. I know her-you. This-this isn’t right, love. You enacting revenge on the Queen isn’t going to solve anything. You can’t do this. You can’t  _kill_ her!” he tried to convince her, his earnest eyes begging her to understand, to concede. To let go of this darkness that’s corrupted her.

“Oh yeah?” she raised an eyebrow. “Watch me.” she challenged, pushing him away with a wave of her hand, advancing towards Regina, her powers neutralised. 

She directed her magic towards Regina, the light diminishing until it was all black. And all Killian could think of was the darkness that would fill her heart, if she murdered Regina. He would not let that happen to her. Not if he lived to see it.

Before the blast could hit the Queen, he lunged in front of her, pushing her away and taking the hit.

Belle screamed, running to his side as he clutched his chest in pain. He could feel the power threatening to vanquish him, the darkness spreading steadily. Emma stumbled, her own heart lurching at the sight. Tears filled her eyes unbidden, confusing her. 

Why could she feel it, as if was she who took the hit. She should feel enraged that he ruined her attack, not-not what she  _was_ feeling. Her throat constricted as she fell to her knees beside his shaking form, her hands clutching his shoulders tightly.

“What the fuck is wrong with you!” she hissed. “Why would you do that?!”

“I-I couldn’t let the darkness-” he wheezed, struggling to breathe. “let it win, love. You-your light it too precious. It’s beautiful,” he smiled through his pain. “I couldn’t let you do that to yourself.”

Her heart fluttered, a voice sounding vaguely like her own sounding in the back of her mind, faintly screaming. “Why do you care?” she shook her with a humorless laugh.

He clutched her hand, his eyes wide and blue- as if what he had to say was the only truth in his life, as if she was the moon and stars. “Because I love you, Emma,” he breathed. “I may not-” he arched his back, gritting his teeth as the pain became unbearable. “I may not know much about any of the things you said,” he panted. “But the one thing I am certain about is my love for you. I’d sooner die than let you lose your light, Swan.”

A lone tear ran down her face, her eyes furrowed in confusion as the voice in the back of her mind growing louder and louder as she leaned down, her hand cupping his cheek hesitantly, fingers running down his jawline. “You-you did this for me?” her bottom lip trembled.

“Aye,” he nodded, leaning into her touch. She didn’t think, listening to the voice instead as it urged her to kiss him. She gently placed her lips on his, making him sigh and pull her closer.

A light spread around them, slowly taking away the darkness, the entire town waking up from the sleeping curse Maleficent had put them under. Emma pulled back, her eyes wide and shining with unshed tears, her lips stretched in a wide grin.

“I love you too, Killian,” she breathed, her forehead pressed to his. “I love you. You-you saved me,” she said, awe evident in her voice.

When he didn’t reply immediately, she pulled back, startled by his unmoving figure.

“He-he’s gone,” Belle whispered, alerting Emma of her presence.

Emma tightened her hold on him as her words registered. “What? no!” she protested, looking down at his still form.

“Killian. Killian, wake up!” she cried. “Killian, please. I’m so sorry, baby,” she started sobbing, pulling his head onto her lap. Looking up at Belle’s distraught face, “Do  _something_! Please!”

Belle’s face crumpled, her own tears streaming down her face, “I-Emma you tried to-to kill Regina with that magic. I-I can’t…I don’t know what to do,” her voice thick, sounding helpless.

“No, no, no, no. No, this can’t happen,” she shook her head, looking down at him again, pressing her lips to his in a desperate attempt to bring him back. “I’m so sorry, Killian. I love you so, so much. Please, please, please,” she mumbled, her voice cracking.

“Regina!” she shouted, looking up as the woman approached. “You can do something, right?”

“Swan,” the woman looked pained, not an ounce of anger towards the woman who just tried to kill her. “I-I don’t know if I can.”

“Please, try. I helped you with your love.” Emma’s face was wet with tears, her voice high and cracking.

Regina sighed, kneeling next to him, her hands placed over his chest. After a moment, she sighed, looking up at Emma with a slightly hopeful look on her face. “The magic hasn’t reached his heart yet, you can still stop it. You can still heal him,” she smiled.

Emma struggled to reign in her emotions, her hands quickly replacing Regina’s, ready to reverse the spell, only to be stopped by a hand on her arm. “I’ll-I’ll help,” she sighed, placing her hands next to hers, drawing the dark magic out.

* * *

It had been three days since they saved Killian’s life, and he still hasn’t woken up. Regina had said that the exertion on his body may have been too much, so it would take some time for him to heal.

Emma hadn’t  left his bedside since the moment they’d arrived home, the apartment they got together, that they shared.  _Their home._  She sat there, everyday, holding his hand and tracing his features, fingers brushing through his hair sometimes. Sometimes she would just climb into bed with him, her hand on his chest, lulled by the steady beat of his heart. Sometimes Henry sat next to him, reading their story from the storybook, Emma hiding her tears and smiling softly.

But she never left his side for more than fifteen minutes, her heart racing every time she was even a small distance away.

It was on the fourth day. She was just fixing some breakfast for Henry (he was back to school, now that they defeated the Queens of Darkness) and herself when she heard a very low thud from the bedroom down the hall. Mother and son shared a look before they both rushed to the room.

The moment she saw Killian sitting up in bed, her heart stopped. The next one, she was in her arms, her whole body shaking with the intensity of her sobs, her face tucked into the space between his neck and shoulders and her arms around his waist.

He was startled, his arms limp by his side for a moment before he embraced her tightly, chin placed on top her head and hand running through her hair, soothing her.

“Swan,” he muttered, nodding Henry over. The teenager waited not longer than a second before he was hugging the pirate too, both mother and son almost squishing him. But he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I love you,” he felt more than heard Emma mumble.

He would have said it back, but his throat was too tight. And he wasn’t ashamed to admit that it was from tears.


End file.
